Guatemala: Guatemala govt bars anti-graft chief, defying court ruling

The government on Monday defied a ruling by Guatemala’s top court to allow the return of the man who heads a U.N.-backed anti-corruption commission, with officials arguing they have the right to force his replacement.

The announcement came after the Constitutional Court issued a unanimous and un-appealable ruling late Sunday that the administration must permit entry by the leader of the commission, which has pursued a number of high-profile graft probes, including one pending against President Jimmy Morales himself.

Government officials said the ruling does not mention commission head Ivan Velasquez by name, and simply refers to the “commissioner (of either gender)” of the U.N. anti-corruption body, known as CICIG. They said that means they only have to allow someone in to head the commission but not Velasquez.